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Rory Naysmith Mysteries #2
Gone Before
Small-town detective, Rory Naysmith, thought he’d seen it all, but a young woman’s brutal murder is especially hard to stomach. Doubly so, when he recognizes the murder’s MO is identical to that of Tobias Snearl—the killer he put behind bars a decade before. His frustration grows after a series of senseless accidents plague those dearest to him, and a second woman dies—this one too close to home. Searching for answers, Rory races against time, plunging deep into the murder investigations, drawing ever closer to becoming a casualty of the dark, angry deeds himself, until he finds no one is who they pretend to be—and none are beyond evil’s reach.
- GenresMystery
316 pages, Paperback
Published January 17, 2022
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113 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
February 27, 2022
This is a decent crime suspense story with some nice characters.
Rory Naysmith is the police detective in the small town of Winterset, and has a cat Commander for company. He has had a heart attack and needs to be careful about his health. His partner is young rookie Thacker, who is enthusiastic to make his mark. On what appears to be routine look-in, Rory and Thacker discover a body of a young woman. It is clear there has been foul play, and the way the victim was restrained makes Rory recall an earlier case. The victim of that case over 10 years back was Emily Weir, and Tobias Snearl was found guilty and is serving his sentence. How can the modus operandi be similar then is the first question which torments Rory, or is he reading too much into what could be a coincidence? The situation grows to be tense as Rory is attacked and it appears many close to him or working on the case may be in danger as well – his partner Thacker, girlfriend Esther and the coroner Petey.
The story avoids very gory details and hence will be an easy read for anyone. The narration is honest and there are no contrived plots or twists. I liked all the characters in the story – Rory, Thacker, Esther, Peter and a few others. The plot depth could have been better though.
My rating: 3.75 / 5.
Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and author for a free electronic review copy.
Rory Naysmith is the police detective in the small town of Winterset, and has a cat Commander for company. He has had a heart attack and needs to be careful about his health. His partner is young rookie Thacker, who is enthusiastic to make his mark. On what appears to be routine look-in, Rory and Thacker discover a body of a young woman. It is clear there has been foul play, and the way the victim was restrained makes Rory recall an earlier case. The victim of that case over 10 years back was Emily Weir, and Tobias Snearl was found guilty and is serving his sentence. How can the modus operandi be similar then is the first question which torments Rory, or is he reading too much into what could be a coincidence? The situation grows to be tense as Rory is attacked and it appears many close to him or working on the case may be in danger as well – his partner Thacker, girlfriend Esther and the coroner Petey.
The story avoids very gory details and hence will be an easy read for anyone. The narration is honest and there are no contrived plots or twists. I liked all the characters in the story – Rory, Thacker, Esther, Peter and a few others. The plot depth could have been better though.
My rating: 3.75 / 5.
Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and author for a free electronic review copy.
January 24, 2022
Just when Detective Rory Naysmith thinks he’s witnessed every possible crime, nothing prepares him for this. Murder is never easy to stomach but when a young woman is murdered without any clues, Detective Rory is at a loss. The more he investigates, the more Rory is convinced he’s seen this killer’s MO before. Is it a copycat or has Tobias Snearl escaped from prison? As Rory hunts for the truth, a series of accidents to those connected to Rory has him anxious to solve this murder. But has he fallen into the killer’s snare and he’s the next victim?
Gone Before is a gripping, edge-of-your-seat mystery I couldn’t put down. Murders in a small town tend to be gruesome but in this book, it’s a deadly game of cat and mouse. As a mystery fan, I thoroughly enjoyed Gone Before. Rory has an acerbic wit and his eye for minute details makes him a terrific character. I loved seeing things from his point of view. The plot unfolded slowly which allowed me to investigate alongside Rory and the police. There’s a fairly large cast of characters yet I was able to keep them straight thanks to the plot progression and intricate specifics. The descriptive narration plunged me right into the story. The writing style is sophisticated with a few red herrings I didn’t see coming. The suspense had me reading late into the night, just to see what happened next. If you’re a fan of whodunits, then you’ll need to read Gone Before. If you love small-town murder mysteries, you want to dive into Gone Before. Highly recommend!
Disclaimer: I received a copy from the author in the hopes I'd review it. My thoughts are all my own.
My Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by: Mrs. N
This review first appeared: https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/po...
Gone Before is a gripping, edge-of-your-seat mystery I couldn’t put down. Murders in a small town tend to be gruesome but in this book, it’s a deadly game of cat and mouse. As a mystery fan, I thoroughly enjoyed Gone Before. Rory has an acerbic wit and his eye for minute details makes him a terrific character. I loved seeing things from his point of view. The plot unfolded slowly which allowed me to investigate alongside Rory and the police. There’s a fairly large cast of characters yet I was able to keep them straight thanks to the plot progression and intricate specifics. The descriptive narration plunged me right into the story. The writing style is sophisticated with a few red herrings I didn’t see coming. The suspense had me reading late into the night, just to see what happened next. If you’re a fan of whodunits, then you’ll need to read Gone Before. If you love small-town murder mysteries, you want to dive into Gone Before. Highly recommend!
Disclaimer: I received a copy from the author in the hopes I'd review it. My thoughts are all my own.
My Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by: Mrs. N
This review first appeared: https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/po...
March 17, 2022
Detective Rory Naysmith stumbles upon the brutal murder of a young woman half buried. So far Rory has no clues to who killed the poor girl. But the more he looks at the evidence the more it becomes familiar to him.
Rory swears that he has seen this MO before. But the guy he is thinking may have killed the girl is behind bars. So who killed this girl? Does Rory have a copy cat killer on his hands? How does a man manage to commit murder from behind bars?
When Rory finds this girl he stumbles and injures his leg but refuses to see a doctor at the time as he has to much on his plate like a murder investigation. Rory’s injury slows him down during his investigation but never fear he has a lot of friends who help him out at home and work.
Gone Before is a very enthralling read that kept my attention from the first page to the last. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough as I raced to the end so I could find out whodunit. The suspense alone was enough to keep the pages turning. Detective Rory Naysmith is a wonderful character and I enjoyed seeing the world through his eyes. I also liked meeting all the other characters in Gone Before as well.
If you like a good murder mystery like myself then I definitely recommend Gone Before! Grab your copy of Gone Before today!
Rory swears that he has seen this MO before. But the guy he is thinking may have killed the girl is behind bars. So who killed this girl? Does Rory have a copy cat killer on his hands? How does a man manage to commit murder from behind bars?
When Rory finds this girl he stumbles and injures his leg but refuses to see a doctor at the time as he has to much on his plate like a murder investigation. Rory’s injury slows him down during his investigation but never fear he has a lot of friends who help him out at home and work.
Gone Before is a very enthralling read that kept my attention from the first page to the last. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough as I raced to the end so I could find out whodunit. The suspense alone was enough to keep the pages turning. Detective Rory Naysmith is a wonderful character and I enjoyed seeing the world through his eyes. I also liked meeting all the other characters in Gone Before as well.
If you like a good murder mystery like myself then I definitely recommend Gone Before! Grab your copy of Gone Before today!
January 17, 2022
A murderer who doesn’t leave a clue.
Small-town detective, Rory Naysmith, thought he’d seen it all, but a young woman’s brutal murder is especially hard to stomach. Doubly so, when he recognizes the murder’s MO is identical to that of Tobias Snearl, the killer he put behind bars a decade before.
His frustration grows after a series of senseless accidents plague those dearest to him, and a second woman dies. Searching for answers, Rory races against time, plunging deep into the murder investigations, drawing ever closer to becoming a casualty of the dark, angry deeds himself, until he finds no one is who they pretend to be—and none are beyond evil’s reach.
Our Review: Often irascible but always dry-witted Rory Naysmith is back to please readers of this popular series. On his toes—so to speak—with the latest murder to hit Winterset, Nebraska, Rory battles bureaucracies both inside and out of this small mid-western town and it’s smaller police department. A reluctant transplant from the big city, with murder, this cop is in his element and the reader knows it from page one.
Gone Before is loaded with a cast of diverse, quirky characters along with a budding love interest for the socially challenged Rory—and it’s so much fun to watch.
Based on a scale of 1-5, Gone Before deserves a 7.
Kat Henry Doran, Wild Women Reviews
Small-town detective, Rory Naysmith, thought he’d seen it all, but a young woman’s brutal murder is especially hard to stomach. Doubly so, when he recognizes the murder’s MO is identical to that of Tobias Snearl, the killer he put behind bars a decade before.
His frustration grows after a series of senseless accidents plague those dearest to him, and a second woman dies. Searching for answers, Rory races against time, plunging deep into the murder investigations, drawing ever closer to becoming a casualty of the dark, angry deeds himself, until he finds no one is who they pretend to be—and none are beyond evil’s reach.
Our Review: Often irascible but always dry-witted Rory Naysmith is back to please readers of this popular series. On his toes—so to speak—with the latest murder to hit Winterset, Nebraska, Rory battles bureaucracies both inside and out of this small mid-western town and it’s smaller police department. A reluctant transplant from the big city, with murder, this cop is in his element and the reader knows it from page one.
Gone Before is loaded with a cast of diverse, quirky characters along with a budding love interest for the socially challenged Rory—and it’s so much fun to watch.
Based on a scale of 1-5, Gone Before deserves a 7.
Kat Henry Doran, Wild Women Reviews
January 31, 2022
There has been a brutal murder in the small town of Winterset, Nebraska. Middle-aged detective Rory Naysmith stumbles upon a woman buried beneath rock while at a Fourth-of -uly celebration. What bothers him is this murder reminds him of one he solved years ago. The murderer now sits in jail, so what can be happening? I loved this story, the characters and setting all the way through. Rory has to overcome an injury in order to investigate which causes others to come to his rescue setting his apartment up as a workstation. The clues to the mystery are everywhere and Fischer does a beautiful job of keeping the reader fascinated. From Esther Mullins, the unassuming bookkeeper, Thatcher, the rookie cop and Axle the rough-looking loveable man to call on in an emergency, you will love spending time in Winterset with these characters!
May 3, 2022
Gone Before is Book 2 of a series titled Rory Naysmith Mysteries. I also read and reviewed Book 1 titled Gone Astray.
I like the small-town atmosphere of this book. A “small town” cop always spikes my interest. But, Rory Naismith isn’t a small-town cop, or at least he wasn’t once upon a time. After his heart attack, it was either sit at home or take a job in Nebraska. Nebraska, can you believe it (just kidding). Now he’s a detective in a little town. A big fish in a little pond or so the local cops think.
You may have already guessed what I think Terry Korth Fischer has done well. She has done the most important thing in any book to keep me reading. She’s crafted a character that you begin to know, one you begin to even care about. That’s how I felt about Rory Naismith in Book 1 and nothing changed in this good story either.
This is almost a one-sitting book because it’s very hard to put down. Either of the books in this series can be read as a stand-alone. I don’t think you’ll want to miss either one though. Hope Book 3 is coming soon.
I like the small-town atmosphere of this book. A “small town” cop always spikes my interest. But, Rory Naismith isn’t a small-town cop, or at least he wasn’t once upon a time. After his heart attack, it was either sit at home or take a job in Nebraska. Nebraska, can you believe it (just kidding). Now he’s a detective in a little town. A big fish in a little pond or so the local cops think.
You may have already guessed what I think Terry Korth Fischer has done well. She has done the most important thing in any book to keep me reading. She’s crafted a character that you begin to know, one you begin to even care about. That’s how I felt about Rory Naismith in Book 1 and nothing changed in this good story either.
This is almost a one-sitting book because it’s very hard to put down. Either of the books in this series can be read as a stand-alone. I don’t think you’ll want to miss either one though. Hope Book 3 is coming soon.
April 4, 2022
This was a great small town mystery. There are a few unexpected twists that keep you guessing throughout the story. I loved all the characters, but Rory was a great lead. Following him and his thought process throughout the investigation made the story more engaging. If you enjoy detectives with dry wit, and small town mysteries that will make you think, you're going to love this book.
February 7, 2022
Although you think this might be a cozy mystery, it’s not. It’s a detective mystery and Rory Naysmith, the detective, is no amateur. He’s 50-ish, balding, with a bit of a paunch, recovering from a heart attack that took him out of his big city and dumped him the small town of Winterset, Nebraska, in the summer. He has a sort-of girlfriend in Ester Mullins, a rookie cop/friend in Thatcher, and other characters you’ll enjoy. They are very believable for a small town. Oh, and Rory has a cat called Commando who is a character unto himself. I absolutely loved the description of Cousin Henry as “a cross between Col. Sanders and Snidely Whiplash.” I could picture the character perfectly!
Rory literally stumbles on the body of a woman who was brutally murdered (while getting his leg wedged in rocks and breaking an ankle). The murder is hauntingly reminiscent of a previous one he solved, but that perp is in jail. So who did it? And who attacked Rory? And what is going on in Winterset? Poor Rory is doing all his detecting while in a heavy cast and enlists the help of friends to help him find the killer. They discover patterns in several unsolved murders moving from Texas northward, and now in Winterset.
Fischer does a great job of sprinkling clues throughout to keep you turning the pages. The characters and settings are believable and the conclusion satisfying.
Recommendation: Yes, pick this one up for a hard-core mystery with a little romance, and great characters.
Disclaimer: Disclosure of Material: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book with the hope that I will leave my unbiased opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”
Rory literally stumbles on the body of a woman who was brutally murdered (while getting his leg wedged in rocks and breaking an ankle). The murder is hauntingly reminiscent of a previous one he solved, but that perp is in jail. So who did it? And who attacked Rory? And what is going on in Winterset? Poor Rory is doing all his detecting while in a heavy cast and enlists the help of friends to help him find the killer. They discover patterns in several unsolved murders moving from Texas northward, and now in Winterset.
Fischer does a great job of sprinkling clues throughout to keep you turning the pages. The characters and settings are believable and the conclusion satisfying.
Recommendation: Yes, pick this one up for a hard-core mystery with a little romance, and great characters.
Disclaimer: Disclosure of Material: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book with the hope that I will leave my unbiased opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”
May 5, 2022
Gone Before is the second Rory Naysmith mystery, something I wasn't aware of until I started reading. One of these days, I'll check those details before I actually crack open what turns out to be part of a series. So, what I'll say about that is yes, I feel like I was behind the game a bit with getting to know the characters of small-town Winterset, but it didn't take long before I had them figured out. And those characters are part of what makes this detective mystery work so well, what makes it stand out from the crowd. Terry Korth Fischer has a great sense of humor as well as a good sense for the timing of that humor. There are many chuckle-worthy moments throughout the story, but it doesn't take away from the tension of the mystery. A small-town setting like this one with quirky characters can often fall into cozy mystery territory, and there's nothing wrong with that. It's just not one of my favorite mystery sub-genres. What I do like is a good detective series with likable characters that I can follow from one case to the next. Rory Naysmith is a likable character. He's not perfect, and he's not the picture of health with a rock-hard body. Nope, he's a regular guy who happens to be good at his job, which makes him feel more realistic than he might have. The story has good pacing, and it held my interest all the way through, so I'll have to keep an eye out for whatever comes next.
April 16, 2022
I thoroughly enjoyed this book as well as the first Rory Naismith mystery. I love the small town Midwestern setting, the ordinary, salt-of-the-earth characters, and especially Terry Korth Fischer's sly subtle sense of humor. An engaging mystery. Can't wait for the next one!
April 11, 2022
Fischer's genius lies in world creating. As someone who has lived in small(ish) Midwestern cities for over half my life, she makes her Nebraskan setting of Winterset both easy to picture and appealing. I feel the same way about her protagonists Rory and Esther. There is a lot to enjoy in this one. I especially enjoyed the serial killer plot, which is a topic I have also written about. There's something particularly unnerving about a villain with no real, understandable motive.
This second installment in the series will appeal to fans of cozies as well as traditional detective stories as there is not a ton of overt gore or violence.
This second installment in the series will appeal to fans of cozies as well as traditional detective stories as there is not a ton of overt gore or violence.
January 30, 2022
Detective Rory Naysmith put away a serial killer years ago. But recent murders have the same M.O. and strange things are happening to those closest to him. He is being targeted. He needs to solve this quick. Good story. Great characters.
March 22, 2022
I enjoyed this story as well as the idea of older main characters. The relationship between Rory and Esther added a softer side with all the danger, violence, and death filling the rest of the pages. Secondary characters brought the feeling of family and support so that Rory was not so isolated, alone. The mystery itself was full of twists and surprises. Again, I enjoyed this story and look forward to the next one.
I received a copy of this story through Goddess Fish Promotions, and this is my unsolicited review.
I received a copy of this story through Goddess Fish Promotions, and this is my unsolicited review.
April 19, 2022
I truly enjoyed this read. I have been in a bit of a mystery slump recently and needed something intriguing to pull me out. This book gave me everything I hoped for and more.
I found the characters had depth, especially Rory, making it much easier to be drawn in to the mystery and murder taking place. I liked that their personalities were complete and that time was taken to ensure details made sense and were very real and believable.
Overall, this is an excellent book and one I highly recommend. I cannot wait to read more by this author and in this series.
I found the characters had depth, especially Rory, making it much easier to be drawn in to the mystery and murder taking place. I liked that their personalities were complete and that time was taken to ensure details made sense and were very real and believable.
Overall, this is an excellent book and one I highly recommend. I cannot wait to read more by this author and in this series.
April 14, 2022
This story was right up my alley with an evil killer and a smart, competent detective on the trail. I stayed glued to the pages until the very end. The book took a few unexpected turns, which is always a plus. I couldn’t wait to see how the case would be solved, and it was surprising, yet satisfying. I’ll definitely check out more books by this talented author.
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October 26, 2021Release scheduled for January 17, 2022.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews